Bookholder



c.. A. RA-MSAY Jan. 6, 1953 BOOKHOLDER Filed June 30. 1949 I I I l l I I I I I I I IIJIL INVENTOR.

mass A. RAMSAY.

ATT RNE),

Patented Jan. 6, 1953 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE BOOKHOLDER Charles A. Ramsay, Detroit, Mich. Application June so, 1949, Serial No. 102,229

2 Claims. (Cl. 211-43) This invention relates to a holder for a series of books the object being to provide a new and improved character and form of book holder which is adjustable to vary the length thereof to hold a series of books in parallel relation and may be lengthened or shortened depending upon the number of books to be positioned therein.

These and other features and objects of the invention are hereinafter more fully described and claimed and a book holder embodying my invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a front elevation of my improved book holder.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof indicating by dotted lines the extended position of the two end members.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

My improved book holder consists of two members l and 2. To the end member I is secured a plate 3 and to the end member 2 is secured a plate 4, the inner side edges of said plates being arranged in horizontally spaced relation. Adjacent the rear edge of the plates l and 2 is a rearwardly inclined back plate 5 and secured to the plate 5 at right angles thereto is a base plate 6. Plate 6 is downwardly inclined from the forward edge toward the rear. Secured to the under surface of plate 6 is a central supporting rib l the forward end of which is slotted to receive the inturned end 8 of the plate 6 and the end 8 has an upturned rib 9 which prevents the plate 6 from being moved from the position shown.

The upper edge of the back plate 5 is reversely turned and is provided with a flange It! engaging in a recess II at the rear face and upper edge of each of the back extension plates 3 and 4. On the rear face of each plate is a lug 3a and ta respectively which are integral With or secured to the respective plate. Each lug has a transverse threaded opening to receive an end of a threaded rod IS the opposite ends of which are oppositely threaded. Fixed on the rod centrally between the ends thereof is a cylindrical knurled element It by means of which the rod may be turned by the thumb of the user. The element I l has an edge thereof positioned between two opposed lugs l5 and I! which project from the back plate 5. By rotation of the element 14 the rod l3 may be rotated. One end of the rod has right hand threads and the other end of the rod has left hand threads. By such arrangement of parts rotation of the threaded rod causes the plates 3 and 4 to move toward or from each other depending upon the direction of rotation of the rod.

By this arrangement of parts the user may turn the threaded rod in one direction orthe other to thereby cause the members 3 and 4to move outwardly to increase the length of the device or inwardly to decrease the length of the device depending upon the number of books that are being positioned on the base plate 8.

It is to be noted that the base plate 6 is downwardly inclined from the free edge to the back plate which tends to hold the books with the ends in contact with the back plate 5. There is also a longitudinally extending metal bar 15 centrally supported through the rear of the rib 1.

Rectangularly shaped base extension members 18 are arranged at right angles to the back extension members 3 and 4 and secured thereto. Members 18 are slidably mounted upon the under surface of base member 6, with their rear portions slidably resting upon bar I6. The front portions of members 18 are formed so as to extend over the inturned end 8 of base member 6 and slidably engage the longitudinal rib 9 thereof.

By the described arrangement of parts the device may be lengthened or shortened as may be required for the number of books to be positioned therein as will be understood from the dotted lines in Fig. 2.

Having thus briefly described my invention, its utility and mode of operation, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A book holder comprising a rearwardly inclined base member, a back member secured at right angles thereto, longitudinally spaced back extension members slidably mounted upon the back surface of said back member in parallel relation thereto, longitudinally spaced base'extension members joined to said back extension members at right angles and slidably mounted upon the under surface of said base member in parallel relation thereto, upright end members secured to the outer end edges of said extension members at right angles thereto, a lug on each back extension member adjacent the inner edge thereof, each 111g having a threaded aperture, a rod extending longitudinally of the rear faces of the back extension members with its ends oppositely threaded and extending through said apertures, means secured centrally on said rod by which the same may be rotated in two directions to effect longitudinal inward and outward movements of said extension members alternately, and means on said back member engageable with said rod rotating means preventing longitudinal movement thereof.

2. A book holder comprising a rearwardly inclined base member, a back member secured at right angles thereto, longitudinally spaced back extension members slidably mounted upon the back surface of said back member in parallel relation thereto, longitudinally spaced base extension members joined to said back extension members at right angles and slidably mounted upon the under surface of said base member in parallel relation thereto, upright end members secured to the outer end edges of said extension members at right angles thereto, a lug on each back extension member adjacent the inner edge thereof, each lug having a threaded aperture, a rod extending longitudinally of the rear faces of the back extension members with its ends oppositely threaded and extending through said apertures, means secured centrally on said red by which the same may be rotated in two directions to effect longitudinal inward and outward movements of said extension members alternately, means on said back member engageable with said rod rotating means preventing longitudinal movement thereof, the outer longitudinal edges of the base and back members being inturned to slidably receive and support corresponding surface portions of the back and base extension members, and a 4 longitudinally extending rod centrally supported by said base member in spaced relation to its under surface to slidably support portions of said base extension members relatively to said base member.

CHARLES A. RAMSAY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 905,737 McCombe Dec. 1, 1908 974,852 Bishop Nov. 8, 1910 1,273,214 Gleason July 23, 1918 1,682,060 Banks Aug. 28, 1928 1,991,947 Kochheiser Feb. 19, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 28,262 Sweden Jan. 29, 1910 332,029 France Oct. 13, 1903 424,356 France Dec. 3, 1910 603,688 Great Britain June 21, 1948 

